Game 7. The two most electrifying words in sporting history. This is where heroes are made, and Buddy Hield certainly etched his name into the hearts of the Warriors faithful for years to come. Coming into Houston on a 2-game losing skid, the Warriors needed something special from their players, and boy did Buddy put on a show. With 33 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and shooting 9/11 from beyond the arc, Hield crushed all hopes that the Rockets may have had of winning the series.
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Speaking to Inside the NBA after the win, Hield claimed that the game 6 loss was an emotional time for the team, and that they needed to have an urgent team meeting after landing in Houston before game 7. The Rockets had the Warriors’ number at seemingly every turn in Game 6, with Ime Udoka’s double big lineup of Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun stifling their interior offense.
Speaking of the meeting, Buddy said, “You know, yesterday when we get to Houston, we had a very emotional meeting led by Draymond and Steph and Jimmy, and uh, from then, I was just locked in. The meeting we had gave everybody chills, and we know when they go to battle, and the meeting was well needed.”
The meeting clearly worked, as Game 7 turned out to be a completely different showing. Buddy’s shooting streak to start the game ensured that the Rockets had to stretch the floor to guard him, allowing the Warriors to generate better looks inside the paint.
When Ernie asked him about the details of the meeting, Hield revealed as much as he could, without giving too much away.
“You know, it just shows that Game 6 we was not locked in. Dray put all the blame on him, you see, today he was not picking with the refs,” he said. “He was just being Draymond Green, all-defensive player. He’s our team leader, he’s our spirit animal.”
Such a meeting may seem like a rare occasion, but in reality, a meeting like this is pretty common when the playoffs start. With so much on the line in the postseason, teams will hold meetings like this to ensure all the players and the coaching staff are on the same page and make sure that the team chemistry is at an all-time high.
The meeting also shows how important leaders are for a franchise, and the Dubs have three of them. Steph Curry and Draymond Green, of course, have experience winning rings with Steve Kerr, but adding Jimmy Butler’s no-nonsense, win-at-all-costs mentality to it just makes for a very inspiring leadership group.
With the Warriors having booked a semi-final meeting with the Timberwolves, we have a series on our hands. The Wolves, with the 6th seed, have the home court advantage over the Warriors, and their size and length caused a lot of problems for the Lakers in round 1.
The Warriors, on the other hand, will have the benefit of experience, as their core has been the most dominant core in the last decade. With Jimmy’s raw aggression, they may pose a serious threat to the Wolves. This series has the potential to go to 7 games, so buckle up.
